Bangkok: Malaysia’s World No. 6 Lee Zii Jia needed three sets to defeat compatriot and World No. 34 Daren Liew on Saturday and booked his place in the 2022 Thailand Open final.
2022 Thailand Open men’s singles semi-finals between Lee Zii Jia and Daren Liew:
Although Liew who is also Lee’s sparring partner, they were facing off for only a second time at BWF sanctioned tournament on Saturday, with Lee winning their last encounter in the quarter-final of the 2021 Denmark Open.
Lee started strong in the semi-final and quickly claimed the first game 21-16. But it was a reversal of fortune for Liew in the second set, who himself was not afraid of Lee’s powerful smashes, and capitalized on Lee’s mistake as the 34-year-old was able to convert the second set in his favor 21-13 to get things level again at 1-1.
The 24-year-old Lee Zii Jia didn’t back down in the decider and was able to lead 11-7 at the interval and went on to win the third-set 21-14.
Lee will play World No. 49 Li Shi Feng of China in the final. Li took 93 minutes to subdue Kodai Naraoka of Japan 21-19, 16-21, 21-19, booking a ticket to the final.
“It was a tough match today. I’ll try to get enough rest and prepare for the final tomorrow,” said Lee.
Meanwhile, Liew admitted he couldn’t keep up with Lee Zii Jia in the decider.
“I gave my best, but Zii Jia was playing better,” said Liew.
In men’s doubles, Malaysia’s Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist and No. 6 seeds Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik failed to advance as they lost to No. 5 seeds from Indonesia Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto 21-19, 21-14.
Alfian/Ardianto will fight No. 3 seeds Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi of Japan for the men’s doubles crown.
China’s former World No. 1 in mixed doubles Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong outlasted World No. 3 Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino of Japan 18-21, 21-8, 23-21 in the semi-final.
Zheng/Huang earned a chance to redeem themselves as the strongest mixed doubles pair in the world when they meet World No. 1 Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Thailand in the final. Puavaranukroh/Taerattanachai edged past the Tokyo Olympic champions Wang Yi Lyu/Huang Dong Ping of China 16-21, 21-12, 21-16 on Saturday.
The women’s singles final saw No. 1 seed Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei taking on No. 3 seed Chen Yu Fei of China while Nami Matsuyama/Chiharu Shida will play compatriots Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara in the women’s doubles final.
